Ladybugs on the beach and Devils River

Along my walk back to the hotel on the shore of Lake Michigan, I bent down to take a picture of an old shoe. But wait, what was here? Ladybugs. I looked at the next clump of dried algae and more ladybugs. Orange, red and yellow-green, there were tons of them in every bit of detritus on the beach.

I could not believe how many there were. I must have taken 30 pictures, trying to capture the different colors and the quantity. I wondered if this was an, um, mating time, due to the stacks of bugs. A quick google search turned this up:

Q. At the beginning of September, thousands of ladybugs were found in Lake Michigan. Why were they in and around the lake?
A. Periodically, all kinds of different insects can be found flowing in and around Lake Michigan. Although, during the early part of this month, the Lake Michigan area experienced some strong weather patterns. Insects can be carried on strong air currents created by storms, only to be "dropped off" somewhere else.

Hm, maybe it was a fertility sign for my friends getting married!

On Friday we attended the lovely wedding at Devils River Campground. This tree was a stunning backdrop.



We had dinner and dancing at the Lighthouse that night, and on Saturday morning, had a great breakfast at Newey's in Manitowoc. Then it was time to head to the airport to fly home. I enjoyed my midwest escape!

Wisconsin and Lake Michigan

This past week I had a chance to do a little traveling to a part of the US I'd not visited before, the Green Bay, Wisconsin area. A dear friend was getting married in the Two Rivers/Manitowoc area. Another friend and I came in a day early to enjoy the fall colors. We first drove down from Two Rivers to Manitowoc, to check out Beernsten's chocolate shop. Of COURSE I must visit the local chocolate places. I brought my husband some chocolates (peanut butter filled chocolate cows and caramel filled chocolate apples!)


Next, we headed north to Door County, also known as the Cape Cod of the midwest. Door county is a giant thumb sticking into Lake Michigan. The penninsula is a rolling farm studded place, rich with fall colors, apple stands and your requisite cute little bayside towns. We went all the way to the tip where one can catch a ferry to Washington Island. We doubled back, bought some jam, then some fantastic bread at the Door County Bakery in Sister Bay, which also had a high end deli. We put together a little picnic lunch of olives, bread, cheese and cherry juice soda!

Back in Two Rivers (we stayed at the very friendly Lighthouse Inn, I went for a walk along Lake Michigan, heading towards town. There were seagulls and not another soul on the windy beach. I walked up to the breakwater protecting the river through town, and looked up towards Two Rivers which is dominated by factories right on the river and lake shore.


More in the next post...


Two_RiversWisconsin, Manitowoc

The World is Not Flat - Thank GOODNESS!

Lee and Sachi have launched the website, The World is Not Flat, to complement their upcoming year long adventure around the world. TWINF, as Lee fondly calls it, is a hybrid travel blog, online community of travelers, and trip planning tool for our wandering pair. If you have a travel tip or location specific experience, drop in and add it to the rich emerging travel stew!

TWINF

Global Nomads and TCK

Due to the digital nature of my work and travels, I have many friends all over the world. I have been particularly drawn into friendship with people who grew up or who live in a world that transcends any one national border. From a comment from Shoshauna on this blog, I started trying to find her organization. I searched for Global Nomads and soon found a number of interesting sites.

Global Nomads Virtual Village -- Welcome Gate

The Global Nomad Virtual Village (GNVV) is an internet-based, non-profit, organization; a virtual hub or virtual village, that provides global nomads, third culture kids, Foreign Service dependents, military brats,(basically anyone who shares the common bond of growing up in a foreign land)... a permanent "place" to keep in touch. The GNVV is also a repository for global nomad related information and resources. For a more detailed look at our goals please take a look at the GNVV Charter below. If you are courious why we are doing this take a look at our list of reasons.

The Global Nomads Group

Founded in 1998, the Global Nomads Group (GNG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to heightening children's understanding and appreciation for the world and its people. Using interactive technologies such as videoconferencing, GNG brings young people together face-to-face to meet across cultural and national boundaries to discuss their differences & similarities, and the world issues that affect them.

Worldweave "personal explorations of the global nomad experience." (See the article on cultural marginality.)

Anyone interested in traveling beyond the tourist circuit is in a position to reflect upon their own culture and the cultures they step in to. It changes us.

P.S. TKC = Third Culture Kids!